


Because That's The Way It Is

by StarryIllusion



Series: The Way It Is [1]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Post-Canon, F/M, Gen, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Not A Happy Ending
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-06
Updated: 2017-05-30
Packaged: 2018-09-22 08:05:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9594971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarryIllusion/pseuds/StarryIllusion
Summary: James left Team Rocket 4 years ago, parting on bittersweet terms with Jessie and Meowth. Now married (thankfully to a sane person!) with his criminal past behind him, he gets the shock of his life when they appear on his doorstep, injured and on the run.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Well this is a new category for me so comments would be hugely appreciated. Concrit always welcome and appreciated. I have 6 chapters already written and will upload them shortly. It will be finished. This work is crossposted to FFN. While I have made a vague attempt to follow canon to a certain degree in the backstory I have only actually seen about a season and a half of the anime and those weren't in the right order so if it is too far out just call it AU.
> 
> Olivia belongs to me, all other characters are the property of...well actually I don't even know who owns what anymore but the point here is that I mean no copyright infringement, you can have them back when I am done messing with their heads and suing me would be pointless as I have a grand total of £48 to my name.
> 
> Hopefully this will not come out as a solid block of text. Ao3 formatting utterly eludes me.

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Jessie gasped for breath as she stumbled through the rain, up the path and rang the bell. She was praying that she had found the right place, that he still lived here. She didn't know where else to go if he didn't. Every day they were drawing closer and had almost caught her in the last town. She was out of places to hide and James was the only person she could trust now. The only person left with whom she could safely leave Meowth. 

The door opened and she found herself facing a woman around her own age. She was pretty with a heart shaped face and curly brown hair. She was also smiling. At least until she saw the state of the woman on her doorstep. 

“Oh, my... Are you all right?”  
Olivia kicked herself mentally for the question as soon as it slipped out of her mouth. Of course the girl wasn't all right. 

She took a second to take in the sight before her. An exhausted girl stood before her. She had long pink hair that was currently hanging in wet tangles around her face and was wearing some kind of white uniform. She couldn't get a clear look at the insignia on the front as the girl was clutching a small blanket wrapped bundle against her chest. A baby? She couldn't tell. The girl's face was bruised and there was a painful looking gash above her right eyebrow that was bleeding freely. 

Jessie could only imagine how she and Meowth must look. Pretty shocking if the look on this one's face was any indication.

“I'm looking for James, James Morgan. I..I thought he lived here but...”

Jessie tailed off, unsure of herself now that she was faced with the prospect that James actually wasn't here and she had no idea of where else to look for him.

“Oh, he does!” Olivia interjected quickly. “Come in, please, I'll get him. James! James, come down, quickly!” The last was shouted over her shoulder as she ushered Jessie into the house and closed the door behind her.

“What is with all the shouti...” James stopped dead in mid sentence as he saw Jessie. 

“Hi, James.” She whispered.

He couldn't believe what he was looking at. It had been 4 years since he had last seen Jessie and they hadn't parted on great terms. He had felt trapped in Team Rocket and had just wanted out but Jessie hadn't wanted to leave with him. Team Rocket was the only real home she had ever had and she had ultimately been too afraid to strike out on her own. So the partnership had ended on a bitter sweet note with anger and tears and feelings of betrayal and abandonment on both sides. 

His first instinct was to furiously demand to know what the Hell she was doing here but the words caught in his throat as he looked at her. She was a mess. Soaked to the skin, bruised and bleeding and clutching something wrapped in a blanket in her arms.

“I'm so sorry, James I didn't know what else to do. There's no where else I can take him!”  
His brain finally caught up and he realised she was holding the bundle out to him. 

He took a step towards her and realisation hit him. The bundle was Meowth. 

“What HAPPENED?” He asked in disbelief as he took Meowth and unwrapped the blanket. The Pokemon was pretty battered and looked as though he had taken one heck of a beating but he was breathing steadily and his heartbeat was strong. A fact that had comforted Jessie to no end as she had made her slow progress to the house where she had been praying to find her old partner.

“I can't tell you all of it, I don't have time. They're after me, James, they're close and Meowth can't be with me when they catch me. You have to keep him safe.”

“Jessie, who's after you, what's going on?!” 

James was running out of patience. It was obviously big whatever it was. Jessie looked terrified and had evidently taken a beating herself. 

“Team Rocket, who do you think!” There was a spark of the old Jessie. 

“Why are Team Rocket after you?”

“I stabbed the Boss.”

James didn't even know how to respond to that. He just stared at her in disbelief until she continued.

“I didn't kill him! I just stabbed him, he was going to kill Meowth, I had to stop him so I just grabbed this letter opener and I stabbed him with it and ran and now they're after me and I can't let them get Meowth!”

She blurted the whole thing out in one breath and promptly burst into tears, clearly too overwhelmed by the whole situation to keep her composure.

James swore under his breath and reached out to hug her, pulling her close and rubbing a hand up and down her back.

“Shhh, Jess, don't. It'll be all right.” He muttered, aware even as he said it that he was lying through his teeth. He didn't believe it any more than she did.

“He saved my life.” Jessie sobbed, voice muffled against his shoulder.

“Who, Meowth?”

“Yeah. The Boss totally lost it and he was beating me and he wasn't stopping and Meowth just flew at him.” 

James winced slightly at the image. It must have been some thrashing for Meowth to turn on the Boss. He could see Olivia staring at him over Jessie's head, obviously not knowing what to do or say. 

Gesturing for her to come closer, he handed the unconscious Meowth off to her, enabling him to wrap both arms around Jessie. Holding her close he rocked her gently back and forth until the tears subsided.

“Come on. Lets clean those cuts up and take care of Meowth.” He said, carefully disentangling himself. 

Jessie drew away from him, sniffling and nodded her agreement. It didn't take long to patch up Meowth and he was soon resting comfortably in James room. James took the opportunity, while Jessie was in the shower, to talk to his wife whom he thought had been remarkably supportive about the whole thing considering she had no idea who Jessie and Meowth were or what was going on.

“James, honey, who is she? Who is this Boss? Why would he hurt her and her Pokemon like that?”

Olivia sounded thoroughly confused. James had never told her much about his time with Team Rocket, just that he used to be an agent and steal Pokemon for the organisation.

“I'm sorry, Liv, I never wanted you to know about the life I used to lead. You know I was a part of Team Rocket?”

She nodded. 

“Well, Jessie was my partner, Rocket agents are always sent out in pairs. We were together for years, right through our training. Meowth isn't hers, he was assigned to help us as a teammate. When I left Team Rocket I left them both behind, they didn't want to go. We didn't part easily, there were arguments and fights and it ended with us just screaming at each other and crying and me begging her to come with me and she was begging me to stay. We were best friends, you see. I haven't seen her now for 4 years.” 

He trailed off, unable to continue. He knew it was silly but he couldn't help feeling responsible. As though he could have prevented it if he had stayed although he knew it was far more likely that he would have been beaten into the ground right along with them and it would probably have been him that she stabbed the Boss defending.

He heard the shower shut off and picked up the first aid kit. 

“I'm going to go see about patching her up a bit.” He said awkwardly. 

Olivia nodded but didn't answer and he wondered if she was angry with him for allowing Jessie and Meowth to stay. What else could he have done though? He'd had his oldest friend falling apart in his arms after being beaten to within an inch of her life and Meowth so battered and exhausted that he hadn't woken even with all the commotion; how could he possibly have turned them away. Even after all that time and a less that amicable end to their partnership, he still loved them, despite everything.

Making his way up the stairs he knocked softly on the bathroom door.

“Jess? You decent?”

He received no reply for a moment but then the door slowly opened to reveal Jessie standing there wrapped in a long blue bathrobe that he recognised as one of his own. She looked more vulnerable than he had seen her in a long time. Her cheeks were slightly flushed and tear stained and she looked so damn young. 

He held up the first aid kit. 

“Need some help?”

She nodded and stepped back to let him in.  
10 minutes later they were sat on the edge of the bathtub with James attempting to close the cut on her forehead with butterfly strips and debating aloud whether or not she needed stitches. Deciding that she didn't, he packed away the kit and stood up. Noticing her wince upon standing he reached out and before she had time to protest he had slipped his hands inside the robe and was feeling her bruised ribs for breaks. Her eyes met his for a second and he flashed back to all the times it had been her checking him for injuries after a particularly violent blast off and a rough landing and he wondered why he was suddenly feeling so awkward with her.

He removed his hands and shook his head attempting to hide his embarrassment.

“Nothing broken. You should be gentle with them though, the bruising is pretty bad.”

She nodded, looking as out of place as he felt.

Olivia appeared in the doorway then and James was fervently grateful that she hadn't arrived a moment earlier while he was checking Jessie's ribs. He figured that would have been harder to explain, given that he had been blushing like a teenager. Funny thing was he was pretty sure he had never been that shy around Jessie when they were both teenagers.

“I've made up the guest room for you, Jessie. You should stay tonight and get some rest.”  
She sounded tired and James looked up at her. Really looked at her for the first time since Jessie had arrived. She looked tired and strained with worry and he immediately felt bad for bringing this kind of trouble into their home. He couldn't bring himself to regret taking Jessie in though. She was his friend and she needed him.

An hour later he lay awake in bed worrying. Olivia wasn't mad, he knew just anxious about what would happen if Jessie and Meowth were found here. He was worried about it too. He knew the Boss had allowed him to leave because it was less trouble than finding and dealing with him but if he could kill two or even three birds with one stone...

James sighed. It didn't bear thinking about. He was worried about Jessie too. Meowth had come round for a while and was now sleeping curled up on the guest bed with Jessie and seemed to be on the mend but she still seemed fragile. Like she had endured so much of late that one more blow would break her. Rubbing a hand through his hair, he closed his eyes and tried to sleep. He would think about it in the morning.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is a reference in here about James being carried down a mountain which I don't actually know where it came from. I actually dreamed it but whether it was based on an episode that I had seen previously or on a fic written by someone else I don't know. I have looked for it but have been unable to come up with any references to it so I am assuming that my subconscious mind is just a freak. If it sounds like something you wrote please do let me know. If anyone is curious about it I will write it as a little side thing.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

James slept badly that night and woke early. He lay there for several moments trying to get his head around his situation. Looking round in response to a sound from the other side of the room he smiled as he saw Chimecho watching him.

“I'm completely screwed, aren't I?” He asked it. It chimed softly in sympathy and drifted across the room to wrap its tail around his head, covering his eyes playfully. 

Olivia woke to the sound of James laughing and Chimecho delightedly avoiding his hands as he tried to squirm out of its hold. She grinned watching them and wondered how on earth her husband could ever have become involved with an organisation like Team Rocket when part of him seemed to be stuck at the age of ten. Try as she might she couldn't conjure up the image of him stealing Pokemon, treating them as property, not when she watched him playing with Chimecho, treating it with such gentleness and affection. It was obvious with all his Pokemon how much he loved them.

James had worked his way free of Chimecho, grabbed hold of it and was tickling it mercilessly as it wriggled happily and tried to wrap around his eyes again. Olivia smirked, grabbed a pillow and whacked the pair of them with it, sending Chimecho bobbing out of the room, making odd little noises of mirth which they had learned to interpret as laughter. 

James turned back to his wife still smiling from his Pokemon's antics. She gave him a sympathetic half smile. 

“How did you sleep?”

“Badly.” He replied with a sigh. “I keep thinking of all the ways this could possibly go horrendously wrong.”

“You're worried they'll find her here?” She asked. 

“A little. More worried about them finding her at all. She wasn't exaggerating when she said Meowth saved her life. The Boss has a nasty temper, always did have. If he finds her, he will kill her. Probably both of them. He used to have a bit of a soft spot for Meowth but I think that bridge is burnt.”

“You still care about her then?” 

“Of course!” James was shocked, “She was my best friend for more than 8 years, of course I still care about her. You don't just stop loving someone like that!”

“All right,” She soothed gently. “I was just making an observation, no need to get defensive. I don't know what Team Rocket was like, do I?”

He drew a deep breath and tried to calm down. She was right and she wasn't to know. How could she know? Even he didn't really understand the bond he had with Jessie and he was pretty sure Jessie didn't really understand it either. They just accepted it for what it was. They had never even really acknowledged it. They just knew that the other would always be there.

“We take care of each other.” He said after a moment. “Always. No matter what.”

“Even if one of us was a total bitch?” The shaky question came from out in the hallway and he looked up to find Jessie stood there, Chimecho hovering next to her with its tail draped over her shoulder.

He rubbed his palms over his face tiredly.

“Haven't we always?” He asked. “Besides...” He cracked a smile. “I still owe you for that thing with the Gastly and the flame thrower.”

Jessie looked for a second as though she might burst into tears again but settled for launching herself at him and hugging him so tightly that he wondered if he might suffocate. Returning the gesture, he idly wondered if he did suffocate how they would explain that to the paramedics. Although he supposed that suffocating in bed with two women wouldn't necessarily be considered the worst way to go. 

Noticing that Olivia was looking distinctly uncomfortable with the emotional display happening next to her; he gently eased Jessie away from him, giving her a second to compose herself before letting go. 

She sniffed and wiped her face. 

“Sorry,” She muttered. “But now we're even for that time I had to carry you down a mountain.”

With that she got up and left the room, touching Chimecho lightly on the head as she passed it, leaving James wincing at the memory and Olivia looking confused.

“Why did you have to be carried down a mountain, honey?”

 

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James hurried downstairs after hurriedly glossing over the mountain incident which had involved an argument, a terrifying fall, a bloody head wound, an awkward piggyback and an extremely embarrassing collect call to the Boss. To say nothing of the conversations they had apparently had while he was heavily concussed and hypothermic. Conversations which Jessie had found hilarious once James was no longer in immediate danger of freezing or bleeding to death.

 

Entering the kitchen he was met with the familiar sight of Jessie threatening Meowth with a rolling pin, devoid of her trademark mallet, she was having to improvise. Meowth was cowering but still seemed unable to shut his mouth and was apparently cruising for a bruising if the look on Jessie's face was any indication.

“You knows I'm right, no matter how much you deny it!” Meowth howled as he dodged blows.  
James hastily stepped in and divested Jessie of her weapon, ducking a blow himself in the process.

“Jess, he's still recovering, maybe you shouldn't be hitting him just yet.”

“Yeah! You shouldn't be hittin Meowth! Don't ya know I almost died, saving you!” He yelled from behind James, who, sensing an impending explosion of temper, positioned himself between them and attempted to separate the two. 

“Jess, STOP!” Everyone froze at his raised voice. “I know you're wound up, we all are but PLEASE stop fighting! Its not helping anything.”

She was about to snap at him, lash out in anger but forced herself to stop. She took a deep breath and when that didn't help took another. She forced herself to keep breathing deeply and not look at Meowth because just seeing his smug face, thinking that he knew everything, was making her angry.

Finally calming down, Jessie ran her hands through her hair and resisted the urge to kick something in sullen temper.

“Sorry, James,” She muttered. “I think all this is getting to me a little.”

“You're not the only one. We need to talk, Jessie, I need to know what happened between you and the Boss.”

She hesitated not wanting James to know exactly what had led up to that desperate fight for her and Meowth's lives. Meowth however didn't seem to have any such issue.

“The Boss got fed up with us always failin, see, so he pulled us in and said if we were no use to him in the field then Jess could at least be useful in other Mpffff!”

He was cut off abruptly by Jessie's hand clamping over his mouth and she promptly let out a yelp as he bit her and continued.

“He wanted to use Jess for...OW! MEEEEOWTH! What was that for?!”

“Shut your big Meowth!” She snapped. “I told you before, I don't want James knowing about that!”

“Knowing about what, Jessie? What did he want you to do?” James was starting to dread the answer but he had to know.

“He wanted to use her for sex!” Meowth screeched, sidestepping Jessie's furious lunge. “Sorry, Jess but you got to tell him! He's gonna find out anyway!”

James grabbed Meowth and thrust the cat behind him, well out of Jessie's reach.

“Jess, is that true?” He asked her softly. “Please, Jessie, just tell me. Its me, you don't have to hide anything from me.”

“Not just for him.” She whispered after a moment. “He wanted to use me as some kind of reward for others. Do a good job and you get to...” She couldn't finish. “So now you know. And you can't protect that damn cat forever. I swear, when I get hold of you, Meowth...!”

Shaking her head she stormed out of the room, cheeks blazing red in humiliation and anger.

James just turned and stared helplessly at Meowth, not knowing what to do. 

“Now I see why you fought for her. I knew it must be big for you to turn on the Boss like that but I never thought...”

“I couldn't let that happen ta her, Jimmy” Meowth's accent was thickening as it always did when he was stressed. “She's gonna kill me for tellin ya that ya know. But you'se two always told each other everyt'ing and it ain't right that you'se protectin us and ya don't even know what from!”

“You did the right thing.” James reassured him, still trying to take it all in. “And she won't kill you, just steer clear for a bit and I'll talk to her when she calms down. Just apologise to her later before dinner. You know she never lets a fight last more than 5 minutes into dessert.”

“This ain't no ordinary fight.” Meowth replied glumly. 

James didn't answer him, too busy trying to work out what the Hell he was going to say to Jessie. He knew he had to talk to her but had no idea what to say. She was clearly embarrassed to have James know what the Boss had intended and he had no idea how to put things right with her nor how to repair their rapidly deteriorating relationship. He had thought that morning that they were starting to repair the damage to their friendship but now he wasn't sure. He sighed. This was going to be one Hell of a day and they hadn't even had breakfast yet. 

“Come on.” He said resignedly, looking at Meowth. “I'll make us pancakes.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At the moment this story is focusing mostly on the relationships between the characters and J  
> +J's attempt to rebuild their friendship and due to lack of information I am pretty much making up my own version of their pasts. I'm trying to keep mostly to canon but love to insert references to conversations and things that didn't really happen and then writing them as little side stories later. I figure this is all for fun anyway so I can screw around with their heads all I like :p

James couldn't get back through the door fast enough. In the process of walking ten minutes to the store for milk he had seen at least 6 people that he suspected were Team Rocket agents and another 3 who definitely were. He had ducked into a Pokemon accessory shop to avoid those he recognised and as a result he now had a very annoyed Mime Jr wearing an admittedly cute suit.

He suppressed a grin as he helped the indignant little Pokemon out of the hideous outfit.  
“Sorry, little buddy. Look at it as taking one for the team.”  
“MIME!” He didn't need Meowth to translate that.

“What did ya DO to him? Poor lil guy!” Meowth sympathised, reaching out to remove the bow tie.  
“Shut up, it was necessary. Has Jessie said anything yet?”  
“Nah, she won't come out of her room. Tried ta talk to her but she chucked a shoe at me!”  
James winced. No doubt that unenviable task would fall to him. He was hoping that he would come out of the room without any substantial injuries.

Olivia came out of the kitchen clasping a hot mug of chocolate in her hands and he offered her a tired smile, walking past to set the milk on the counter. 

“Place is crawling with Rockets.” He told her, referring to the town. “They obviously don't know I live here or they would have come looking for Jessie by now.”

“Do you think they'll find her?”

“I hope not.” He replied. “If they do...”

“They really will kill her won't they?” Olivia asked softly. 

“Probably me too, if they find us.” He glanced up at her, misinterpreting her expression. “Don't worry, they won't hurt you. They'd probably just drag Jessie and I off and deal with us away from prying eyes. We always were more trouble to them than we were worth.”

“I'm not worried about that! I'm scared for you, James, I don't want to lose you! Especially not for the sake of a partner you haven't seen in years!”

“What do you propose?” He snapped back. “Turn her out? That's my best friend, running for her life, do you really think I'd turn my back on her?”

“No, I'm not saying that!” She sighed in frustration. “I won't pretend that I like the woman, James, I don't but she doesn't deserve what they would do if they caught her, of course I'm not saying turn her out. I just don't want them to catch you too.”

He softened slightly and took her into his arms. She was tense and fidgety but returned his embrace.

“I know.” He murmured quietly. 

Upstairs Jessie was finding it hard to settle to anything. She had heard James and Olivia arguing and had guessed that Team Rocket were searching in town for her. The whole situation was making her antsy and filled with a nervous energy that made it hard to sit still. On top of that the humiliation of this morning's fight with Meowth was still fresh in her mind, making her cheeks burn red whenever she thought of it. She couldn't believe he had told James. After she had specifically told him not to.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a light knock at the door. 

“Jess?” Can I come in?”  
He got no answer and so decided to take that as an invitation and opened the door anyway. He found her lying on the bed staring at the ceiling. She didn't look at him or even acknowledge that he had entered the room.

He sighed and moved to sit beside her.

“Bad news. The town is crawling with field agents. I recognised a few of them but they didn't see me.” This got a reaction finally. 

“Are you sure, they didn't see you? James, you know the only reason you got away like you did was because Giovanni didn't want to expend resources looking for you. If they think you could cause trouble for them...”

“Relax!” He held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. “I promise they didn't see me.”  
She relaxed a little and smiled at him.  
“Look, James, I just wanted you to know... I really appreciate you taking us in, hiding us like this. I know I never treated you that well but... Look, even if they catch me, I wanted you to know that...”  
She trailed off, uncertain of exactly what she was trying to say to him.

“Was there even a whole sentence in there?” He teased, gently. “Its okay, Jessie, I know what you mean and they aren't going to catch you. Even if I have to steal a balloon and take to the skies like old times.”

She laughed.

“Hey, Jess? Where did you stab the Boss anyway? You sure you didn't kill him?”  
“Wishful thinking.” She replied. “I got him in the leg.”  
James got a wary look on his face. “What were you aiming for?”  
The smirk on her face was enough of and answer and he carefully crossed his legs in sympathy as she started laughing again and rolled onto her side facing him.

“Hey, James?”  
“Yeah?”  
“Lie down for a minute?”  
“What?”  
“Lie down for a minute. Stop looking at me like that will you, I don't mean like that just... lay with me like we used to.”

He stared at her for a few more seconds as though trying to figure out the odd request but finally lay down beside her. It felt strange but still somehow familiar after all these years and he wondered if she had missed it. 

He vaguely wondered what Olivia would think if she came upstairs and found them like this. It must be hard for her having Jessie here even without the constant threat of Team Rocket. He and Jessie had always been close and he wondered what Olivia was thinking when she watched them together as they tried to repair their fractured friendship. 

He wondered if him being married would change things between him Jessie. Their previous relationship had been fairly touchy feely, at least on his part. He had made sure of it. He remembered the awkward stilted conversations of their early days and how shocked he had been when Jessie had let slip that she had never been hugged.

It had been a conversation about the odd quirks people had and Jessie had said that she didn't like strangers touching her. He had asked why and she had muttered something about being brought up in orphanages and wasn't used to casual contact. He had asked if they didn't ever try and cuddle her and stuff when she was small to which she shook her head with a bemused expression on her face and said that she couldn't actually ever remember being hugged by anyone except her mother who had died when she was five.

She had seemed completely confused at James reaction, not knowing why he seemed to think it was such a big deal. Since that conversation he had taken it upon himself to make a point of casual touches. She had known exactly what he was doing but hadn't resisted or told him to stop and they had quickly become comfortable with each other to the point that even sharing a sleeping bag on subzero nights had been no big deal.

He wondered why it seemed so different now. Whether it was just the length of time since they had last seen each other or if that level of trust was gone forever. 

The next thing he knew he was waking up still in Jessie's room. They had moved in their sleep and she was now pressed up against his back, sleeping soundly. He rubbed his hands over his face in an attempt to wake up fully and glanced at the clock. He hadn't been sleeping long, only about an hour and he doubted that Olivia had been up to check on them yet. She had been trying to teach Meowth to make catnip cookies last he saw of them and he could smell them now, obviously out of the oven.

Getting up he wandered downstairs to find Meowth eating one of the freshly baked cookies.  
“Hey!” The Pokemon greeted him cheerfully. “I gotta remember how to make these!”  
James smiled at him. Meowth never changed, always thinking about his stomach.  
“Where's Olivia?”  
“Clearing up in da kitchen. Jess still asleep?”  
“What are you talking about.”  
“Ha! Don't be trying that with Meowth, I saw ya sleepin like a couple of Skiddo!”  
“Do NOT let Jessie hear you compare her to a GOAT Pokemon!”

Olivia re entered the room at that point and he was forced to stop talking. Not that he let that stop him sending Meowth a threatening glare.

“Hi, honey. How's Jessie doing?”  
“Fine, sleeping. She said to thank you for everything you've done.”  
She hadn't in fact said anything of the sort but he figured he ought to try and keep the peace between the two.

They made some quiet small talk for a while before settling in for the evening to watch TV and unwind a little. Jessie never came downstairs and after a while he went up to use the bathroom and decided on a whim to check on her. He was almost tempted to take a picture at the scene before him but considered that it would probably be hazardous to his health. Jessie was still sleeping in the same position he had left her in except she now had Mime Jr tucked against her stomach, her arms around him and Meowth curled against her chest with his head under her chin. 

He snorted with amusement at the sight of her with Meowth. It was rare that he saw them not fighting over the last 24 hours but apparently she had either forgiven him or he had snuck in while she was sleeping and there would be a bloodbath when she woke up. Closing the door he left them to it.


	4. Chapter 4

Hi! Well, new chapter. Bit shorter than usual, sorry. Still taking outrageous liberties with canon, hope you guys don't mind lol.

Any of you who are curious about the whole fJames falling off a mountain incident mentioned in chapter 2, it now has its own side story, titled Don't Let go. You can find it on my profile with my other fics, rated M for safety and a few suggestive comments from James but does not contain anything graphic. Probably more PG13 than anything. As always, reviews for either story are appreciated and cherished. :)

James woke hours later to find himself slumped in an awkward position on the couch. The TV was still on, bathing the room in an eerie flickering light. His neck was stiff from sleeping at such an angle and for a moment he thought the discomfort was what had woken him. The sensation of eyes watching him made him look round and he nearly jumped out of his skin when he realised Jessie was sitting in the chair across the room.

"Hi." He mumbled hoarsely, pushing himself up into a sitting position. "What are you doing, sitting there in the dark?"

Jessie didn't answer but got up and moved to sit next to him. He was getting a little spooked now, unsure if it was the way the TV cast shadows over everything or the way Jessie was looking at him, not speaking, just watching him. Either way it was really creepy and he wished she would just say something already.

"Jess, what's the matter?"

She reached out and took hold of his hands, pulling them into her lap and twisting her fingers through his.

"Jessie! You're freaking me out here, just talk to me!"

She squeezed his hands firmly and he squeezed back wondering what on Earth was going on.

"The Boss'll hurt him you know?" She said, her voice strangely flat. "If he finds him. Can't let that happen."

"Who, Jess?" James was getting more confused by the minute. "Are you protecting someone? Mondo?"

"Mondo's sweet. Like a little brother except I never wanted one. Kept him well out of it for his own good."

"Then what?"

She didn't answer, instead leaning forward and pressing her lips gently against his in a soft kiss. It was more chaste than anything else and he responded for a moment before he caught himself and pulled away.

"What...Why? Jessie?!" He couldn't even formulate a question, too shocked at what had just happened.

"Goodbye. Just in case. A just in case goodbye."

"They won't catch you!"

"If its me or James. I'll protect him. He's my best friend."

"Jessie, I am Jame..." Suddenly he realised what was wrong. That blank, vacant look in her eyes and the monotone voice.

"Jess, are you asleep?"

"Probably." She agreed. "Or maybe you are? If I wasn't dreaming, I never would've done that, you know."

He looked at her in disbelief, not sure whether to be more surprised that she dreamed about kissing him or disturbed that he had just had a conversation with her without noticing that she wasn't awake.

Taking advantage of their still joined hands he stood and tugged her to her feet. He started to lead her from the room and nearly had a heart attack when he saw the figure standing on the stairs. Resisting the urge to clutch Jessie in fear, just for old times sake he took a deep breath and let it out in a rush as he realised that the figure was his wife.

"Olivia? God, does no one in this house sleep?"

"I wondered where you were." She said quietly.

He realised that her eyes were on his hands still linked with Jessie's and quickly tried to reassure her.

"Oh, its not what it looks like! I fell asleep downstairs, woke up to find her sitting there in the dark. Nearly scared me to death. She's asleep though, aren't you?" He directed the last part to Jessie.

"I don't think so...maybe?" Jessie sounded confused.

"You're sleeping, Jess. Come on, go back to bed." He told her gently.

"Bed?"

"Yeah. Look come this way." He tugged her up the stairs and opened the door to her room, giving her a light push inside. She wandered over to the bed, glanced back at him then crawled in and lay down. She was out almost instantly.

He pulled the door shut and turned to see Olivia looking at him.

"Does she normally sleepwalk?"

"No," He replied. "I didn't even know she wasn't awake at first, it was only when she started talking and it wasn't making any sense and she was talking about me like I wasn't there that I realised she was asleep."

He wondered how much Olivia had seen from the stairs and how long she had been stood there. He decided it was probably best to come clean on the kiss just in case she had seen it.

"She was acting so strange." He continued. "She just came over and kissed me and then told me it was goodbye, just in case."

"In case of what?"

"In case they kill her, I guess. Like I said she wasn't making a lot of sense."

"James, is there anything...was there ever anything between you two?"

She sounded so uncertain that he wanted nothing more than to reassure her. So he lied.

"No. We've never been together like that."

He and Jessie had in fact slept together. It was a long time ago, but they had. It had never really been romantic, more of a best friends with occasional, really good benefits kind of thing but she had once been as familiar with James' body as he was and he found his thoughts straying to it even as he assured his wife that she had nothing to worry about.

He knew that Jessie wouldn't bring up their history, especially in front of Olivia. Maybe she would have once but even back then they had rarely spoken of it and it had tailed off naturally over time.

He pulled Olivia close and kissed her, reminding himself once again of exactly why he had fallen in love with her. Drawing back he slipped an arm around her waist and tugged her back towards their own room.

When he woke the next morning he found Olivia gone and when he glanced at the clock he knew why. "Quarter past ten!" He yelped. He never slept that late. He clambered out of bed, dislodging an indignant Chimecho who had apparently been curled up on his stomach.

He got dressed quickly and hurried downstairs to find both women sitting at the table drinking coffee in awkward silence. Meowth was chattering away about anything and everything paying no heed to the obvious atmosphere around the table. Or maybe he had noticed and was simply trying to dispel it. You never knew with him.

He poured himself a cup and joined them, kissing Olivia lightly as he sat down, relieved to see that Jessie showed no reaction whatsoever to the action.

"So, Jessie," Olivia began, her tone one of forced lightness. "Did you sleep okay?"

Jessie looked up. " Um, yeah, fine thanks."

"So you don't remember getting up at all?"

"No, why?" She was starting to look alarmed now so James quickly stepped in.

"You don't remember getting up last night and talking to me?" He asked.

She shook her head. "No. I sleepwalked?"

"Yeah." He replied. "You kinda spooked me actually, you said some really odd things."

"Like what?"

"Just random stuff. Nothing particularly relevant. You said Mondo was sweet, like a little brother. Then you said you didn't want a brother. Then you started on some stuff about the Boss and having to protect me but you were talking like I wasn't there. Then you ah..."

"Then I what?" Her tone was dangerous and he knew from experience that he better spill the beans.

"Then you just came over and kissed me."

"WHAT?! Why?" Why did you LET me?"

Meowth jumped up from the table, muttering something about going for a walk and sidled out of the room.

"Its not like I could have stopped you! Besides you shouldn't wake a sleepwalker!" He figured the fact that he hadn't known she was sleepwalking until after she kissed him was need-to-know information.

"Fair enough, I suppose but why would I do that anyway? You sure YOU weren't dreaming?"

Out the corner of his eye he saw Olivia's face flushing with anger. Jessie was obviously getting under her skin especially now some of her old attitude was starting to resurface.

"Pretty sure," He shot back. "You said it was goodbye, just in case."

She fell silent, an odd expression crossing her face.

"What?" He demanded. "Oh, no, you can't be serious!"

She got up, poured the rest of her coffee down the sink and started to leave the kitchen only to be stopped by James' hand grabbing her arm and pulling her back around.

"Are you INSANE?" He almost shouted.

"What do you want me to SAY?" She snapped back.

"I want you to tell me I'm crazy and you're not really considering this!"

"Well, I can't do that!" Her face softened slightly. "I'm sorry, James but I can't stay here. I put you two in danger every minute I'm here and maybe if it were just the two of us that would be okay but you have a wife to think about now. A life of your own."

"You can't run either, they almost caught you before. What makes you think you could get away, they're ALL over town, Jessie!"

"What makes YOU think you can hide me forever?! They'll find us James, its only a matter of time. If I run then at least if they catch me, I won't be taking you down with me. I'll leave Meowth with you too. Don't let him follow me if you can help it, tie him down if you have to."

He dodged in front of her as she tried to head for the stairs.

"Not letting you do this."

"You going to try and stop me?"

"Thinking about it."

She stared him down for a second before lunging forward, grabbing his shoulders and thrusting her knee into his stomach. He doubled over, choking with pain and leaned against the door frame trying to catch his breath as she slipped past him and up the stairs.

She returned less than a minute later with a backpack slung over her shoulder and paused to run a hand down his back in sympathy as he fought to stand up straight.

"Sorry, James. This is all for your own good."

She paused as she opened the door and looked back at her partner, still clutching the door frame for support trying to croak her name, despite hardly being able to breathe. She had always been good at self defence, she would never have made it out of HQ if she hadn't been but she felt a twinge of guilt at using it against her best friend.

"Love you." She whispered over her shoulder as she slipped out the door.


	5. Chapter 5

“Jess!” James finally managed to force out, wincing as his stomach cramped again. He had forgotten how much getting in Jessie's way could hurt.

It was too late though, she was gone and he struggled to suppress the rising panic at the thought of her getting caught trying to run. No doubt she would not give up Meowth's location and that would cost her dearly. He knew she loved the mouthy cat far more than she would ever admit to. Despite her frequent outbursts of violence and threats to his life. 

“What was that?!” Olivia sounded as though she didn't know whether to be confused or angry and was settling somewhere between the two. “Are you okay? I thought you two were friends? James, she attacked you!” She wrapped an arm around him, steadying him as he rubbed his tender abdomen and forced himself to straighten without throwing up.

“No time. I have to catch up to her before they do.”

He pulled away and staggered for the door, still wincing with the pain. Outside he looked around wildly, wondering which direction to start with. Jessie would probably go north, he reasoned. That was the fastest route out of town that wouldn't require doubling back and running right into the midst of her pursuers.

Mercifully it didn't take him too long to catch up with her and he soon caught sight of her dodging into an alley. His blood ran cold though when he saw the two Rockets following her. Seconds later he heard her scream and the sounds of a struggle. 

He sped up, rounding the corner just in time to wince in sympathy as he saw the male rocket go stumbling over his unconscious female partner, clutching at his crotch, finally joining her on the ground. 

James raised his hands in a gesture to take it easy as Jessie's wild gaze came to rest on him. She relaxed slightly when she saw him and shook her head. “I should have hit you harder.”

“Please don't!” He retorted, only half kidding. 

“James...” She started then trailed off, not knowing what to say to him, finally settling for “You don't understand.”

“Yes I do.” He shot back. “You think by leaving me behind you can protect me but you can't! I'm not leaving you alone to face this! What kind of person do you think I am? He choked on the words, unable to continue his tirade. “We were best friends for half our LIVES, Jessie!”

Years of scheming together had made him adept at following her thought processes and he took a step back, realising that she was considering hitting him again and making a run for it. 

Once out of range he added “Besides, how far do you think you're going to get? Route 30 is completely closed off and you'll never get back the way you came. And where would you go if you did? Back to Kanto? They'd catch you in a day, Jess!”

Seeing her start to waver he took a step forwards. “Look, please just come back with me, we can figure this out. If you lie low for a bit they won't find you and they'll give up. They wouldn't come to the house anyway, they have no reason to. They don't know I'm here, remember?”

He took another step and saw the moment that she gave in. All the fight seemed to go out of her and he finally felt safe approaching her and pulling her into an awkward hug. Jessie didn't fight him and after a moment even returned the gesture, leaning into the embrace with relief.

James was trembling slightly and somehow this was reassuring, reminding her of all the times they had clung together in sheer paralysing terror for their lives.

It wasn't the idea of putting her life in James' hands that bothered her. She trusted him as much as she ever had. It just made her feel guilty, waltzing back into his life after 4 years and expect him to risk everything to save her, like nothing had ever happened.

Then there was Olivia. Like it or not she wasn't the only female in his life anymore. He had a life here now and their egos weren't going to be the only casualties if this whole thing went belly up.

Realising that she was starting to tear up, she wiped her eyes roughly and pulled away from her friend. 

“Enough of this sentimental stuff,” She said brusquely, pushing him to arms length. “I love you too, there's no need to get all sappy about it. We should get back while we still can but as soon as I find a safe way to get out of town, I'm going. I wasn't kidding, you know? If you think they won't hurt Olivia just for being married to you, you're deluding yourself. Besides, you have to take care of Meowth. He is one dead kitty if they get hold of him.”

James snorted at the thought of Meowth clawing at whatever grunts tried to bring him in. “I'd be more worried about the grunts!” 

It took them more than an hour to get back to the house without being seen and Olivia was clearly beside herself when they finally came stumbling back through the door, both white faced and bruised after a near confrontation with a team that was slightly more competent than they were expecting. They had ended up diving head first over a wall to avoid them, only to find that the ground was lower on the other side, resulting in a somewhat painful landing.

Carnivine was out of his pokeball in the middle of the living room with Meowth wrapped in his vines. The grass Pokemon was apparently completely unconcerned with the increasingly furious and creative threats from the other Pokemon and appeared more interested in watching a battle play out on the TV.

“James!” 

The shriek was the only warning he got before he was slammed back against the door frame with his wife half strangling him in a hug and Carnivine gleefully chomping on his head.

Meowth, now free from the other Pokemon launched himself at Jessie, fury-swiping her twice across the face. 

“What was you t'inking!”

“I was thinking of protecting you two imbeciles, since its clear that you both have a death wish!” Jessie snapped, her temper flaring up.

“Obviously, since my husband is STILL protecting you after you ATTACKED HIM!” Olivia snapped angrily. “Is that how you treat people who have been nothing but good to you?!”

“Don't you dare presume to know anything about me! You really think a punch in the gut would be the worst thing to happen to him if they found out that he'd hidden me? Do you know what they do to deserters?!” 

Her voice had risen steadily until she was almost screaming the last few syllables in Olivia's face.

James hastily inserted himself in between them as he saw Olivia readying herself to scream back at Jessie.

“Ladies!” James called, raising his own voice to be heard over them. 

They both subsided with vicious glares that seemed to promise that the discussion was anything but over.

Surprisingly it was Jessie who was the one to turn away, sinking onto the couch and dropping her head into her hands. 

To his relief, Olivia turned away too, shooting Jessie a filthy look and snatched up Carnivine's Pokeball, attempting to persuade the grass Pokemon back inside.

James just watched his wife as she struggled with the overly affectionate Pokemon, suddenly finding himself too tired to even contemplate trying to control his errant charge.

Jessie was rubbing her temples, looking more and more irritated by the second. Even though he could see her anger slowly boiling over he still jumped when she finally lost her temper, shot up and snatched the ball from Olivia, rounding on Carnivine and bellowing “JUST GET IN THE DAMN BALL!” Carnivine promptly vanished in a flash of red light and she sank down again, looking drained.

Olivia froze in place, mouth opening and closing a few times before she turned her back on them both and went to look out the window, her face a silent mask of fury.

Jessie thrust Carnivine's ball into James' hand and scooped Meowth into her lap, scratching his ears when he protested at being treated like a pet.

Meowth scowled for a moment and then settled, knowing that Jessie probably wouldn't want to hold him for long. Her moments of vulnerability were usually short lived. Even Arbok had usually put up with it, despite the fact that snakes really weren't made for cuddling.

He was right. After about a minute she straightened up and loosened her grip on Meowth, seeming to have recovered from her brief depression. He waited a moment before jumping to the ground, not wanting to offend her and risk triggering one of her famous mood swings.

Luckily she seemed to be over it and her attention turned to James who had flopped down next to her, looking exhausted.

“Sorry about...” She gestured towards his stomach.

“Its okay. I've had worse. Mostly from that electric rat. Just remind me next time I try to stop you, that it hurts.”

She smirked slightly but still felt a little twinge of guilt when she saw him wince sitting up.

“So... If they've closed route 30 I guess route 29 must be...”

“Sealed up tighter than a Nun's...” James finished for her but stopped mid sentence as his wife gave him a scathing glare.

He made a mental note to watch his language, While Jessie might laugh, having never laid any claim to being a lady, Olivia was a little more properly spoken. She did not often appreciate crude or vulgar humour. He had grown quickly used to behaving like a gentleman and had even grown to like it but it was all too easy to slip back into old habits. It had been almost two years before he stopped mentally assessing buildings for objects of value and potential ways in and out.

“So no way out then.” Jessie's despondent tone drew him back to the present and he looked up at her.

“Not unless you want to swim.” 

She looked up, interest piqued for a moment and he shook his head vehemently. 

“Trust me, you do NOT want to swim. It's miles, and we don't exactly have the best track record with Gyarados. ”

“You'se not gettin me to swim!” Meowth piped up helpfully.

“Shut your trap, feline, you're not coming! James, I HAVE to get out of here! They find me and they find you too!”

“For the LAST time! I will not let you do this alone! Get that straight and move on!”

“Neither am I! Who knows what you knuckleheads'll do without Meowth to scratch some sense inta ya!”

Jessie stared at them both for a moment, mouth opening and then closing again as she thought better of whatever she was going to say.

There was silence for a moment before Olivia exploded in anger. “So that's it then?! Four years of marriage and you're going to go swanning off with a woman you haven't seen in years, who's brought no end of trouble to you, hurt you, spoken to me like dirt after I sheltered her from a criminal organisation and you're not batting an eye at the thought of SWIMMING to Azalea Town and going on the bloody run!”

Olivia had barely taken a breath throughout her whole tirade. She was breathless, face flushed with fury and to James she had never looked more beautiful.

He remembered in that moment what had first drawn him to her. They had fought the first time they met. It had been Olivia's nephew whom he had first noticed. A boy of about 9 practising in the park with his friend. 

He had been using a Koffing which had apparently belonged to his father and James had paused to watch the battle. The boy lost to his friend's Bulbasaur and had returned to his aunt looking pretty downtrodden. Unable to resist, James had approached him.

He had a short conversation with the boy, whom he had found out was called Jake and had suggested that the boy make better use of Koffing's smog attack and then circle around in the confusion to hit from behind. Jake had been excited about this possible new technique and against his better judgement, James had agreed to practice with him for a while. Poor Mime. Jr had been soundly beaten but the little Pokemon was a trooper and had taken the defeat in stride.

Olivia had watched them with an eagle eye and having seen James' suggestions in action had deemed the whole thing immoral and a cheap, dirty trick. 

They had gotten into quite a debate about it and she had gotten so angry with him, telling him off for butting in and filling her nephew's head with cheap shots and ways to cheat. 

James had retorted that it wasn't cheating, simply making use of a legitimate and legal move and added that it was stupid not to use every trick in your arsenal when your opponent far out-levelled you. He had ended up losing the thread of the point he was trying to make, too preoccupied with the way her cheeks were flushing with self righteous annoyance.

He was brought back to the present by the sound of Jessie apparently taking great offence on his behalf and attempting to defend his somewhat dubious honour.

He stepped between them again, grabbing Jessie and forcing her backwards when she didn't immediately back down. To his relief, she didn't resist and took a couple of steps away.

“STOP it! No one is swimming anywhere! For Gods Sake why can't you both just stop shouting!”

Meowth polished his claws casually against the side of the couch. “Say the word Jimmy an I'll...”

“You'll do nothing you mangy alley cat!” Jessie snarled. “Stay out of this if you know what's good for you!”

Meowth gulped and slowly backed up to the door. “Ya know I think there were some catnip cookies left n I'm gettin' hungry. You'se lot can sort yourselves out!” With that he turned and bolted from the room, tail between his legs.

James tamped down the urge to flee with him and turned back towards the source of his misery only to find that Olivia was looking rather shamefaced and Jessie was doubled over with a hand over her mouth trying to suppress her giggles. 

Staring at them and wondering if they had both lost their minds he ventured the question. “Did I miss something?”

Jessie gave up and collapsed to the carpet howling with laughter, tears of mirth running down her face. “I never thought I'd see the day two women fought over you! And I never thought I'd be one of them! Is it really weird that I'm ridiculously proud of you right now?” She almost cried the last bit before succumbing completely to hysterics.

Yes... yes, its weird! And so are you if you think anything about this situation is funny!” He couldn't believe what he was hearing and began to seriously wonder if she had genuinely cracked.

“Well I am! Way to go, James, I never knew you had it in you!” She howled.

“Oh my God, you really have lost it.” He muttered, bending to haul her off the floor and sit her on the couch. As he sat her down he heard a smothered laugh from behind him and turned in exasperation to see Olivia laughing too. “Sorry. I'm sorry, James, it isn't funny.” She spluttered.

“Clearly the two of you think it is.” But he couldn't stay angry, too relieved that they were actually agreeing on something.

It took ten minutes and several false stops for them to recover and finally they all sat down together to talk it through. 

“The way I see it, we have two options. Either Jessie stays here and hides or I find a way to smuggle her out of town. Maybe the swimming thing isn't too far off. We could build another sub?” 

“That thing took all three of us to pedal it and it wasn't exactly reliable. We don't have the option of surfacing anywhere we happen to crash this time, its too risky.” Jessie shook her head. “Try again.” 

“A balloon?” 

“Is there an airfield near here?” 

“No. Damn.”

“James.” Olivia interrupted. 

He stopped and looked at her questioningly.

She took a deep breath, deciding just to go ahead and tell him. She had been keeping it from him hoping to wait until Jessie was gone before breaking the news but if he was considering going with her... She couldn't lose him.

“If you're thinking of leaving...”

“Just for a while.” He cut her off. “Just to get Jessie out of here and make sure she's safe. Then I'll be straight back I swear.”

If you're thinking of leaving.” She continued doggedly. “There's something you ought to know.”

“What's wrong?” He looked concerned, his full attention now on his wife.

“James, I'm pregnant.”


	6. Chapter 6

James sat down hard. 

“You... You're... We're...”

“Going to have a baby. Yes.” Olivia replied calmly. 

“But...but how...?” He stuttered, realising even as he spoke what a stupid question that was. Jessie seemed to agree because she rolled her eyes and looked at him witheringly.

“Do you need me to draw you another diagram?” 

“No!” He almost shouted. “No, thank you! I've almost managed to repress the last one, I don't need a refresher.”

Olivia's carefully composed mask slipped for a second before she caught herself. “There was a diagram?”

“He was very naïve.” Jessie confirmed.

“Thank you!” James cut them both off, still white faced and slightly dazed looking. After a moment to regain his senses he looked across at Jessie. 

“Can you give us a minute?”

She nodded and got up, grabbing Meowth who was peering nervously through the doorway and towing him with her into the kitchen.

James waited until Jessie and Meowth were out of the room before looking up at Olivia.

“How long have you known?” He asked quietly.

“A few weeks.” She replied just as softly. He knew she was trying to keep the other two from hearing their conversation but she needn't have worried. Jessie really wasn't one for emotional discussions and he knew she would keep Meowth well out of it. She had become strangely possessive of the cat since she had been there and he wondered if she was worried about letting him and Meowth reconnect. He had always been closer to the scratch cat than she had and he knew she had sometimes felt pushed out. 

He forced his thoughts back to his wife, recognising his own attempt to avoid the conflict that he knew was about to escalate.

“I don't know what to say.” He admitted. He could already see Olivia's temper boiling just under the surface but he honestly couldn't summon any kind of reaction. He felt numb. Almost in shock.

“You don't know what to say? I just told you I'm having your child and you don't know what to say?” Her voice was calm. Dangerously calm in fact. “Well, I don't know what to say to you either, James. I don't even feel like I know you right now.”

“Don't say that.” He whispered, his voice slightly hoarse.

“Then talk to me!” She growled, still calm but obviously growing more frustrated. “TELL me what's going on in your head because I need to know. I DESERVE to know, James.”

James just stared at her. He didn't even know where to start and was fairly certain that telling her any of the things going through his head right now was in no way a good idea.

“I just...I'm pleased, I really am... I just need some time to let it sink in. Its a shock, you know?”

Evidently this was the correct answer because her face relaxed and his internal terror alert dropped to amber.

“Alright.” She said slowly. “Alright, I can give you that. I know its sudden to just have it dropped on you like that.” They sat in awkward silence for a few more minutes before Olivia got up and squeezed his shoulder, murmuring something about making some tea.

James sat silently, still trying to process the information. He felt tears pricking at his eyes and hurriedly swiped at them as he heard the living room door open again. Looking up, he saw Jessie standing there. 

She looked so uncomfortable and out of place that he actually managed to crack a smile at her. She looked relieved, clearly aware that she wasn't welcome in the kitchen, and moved to sit with him.

“Are you okay?” She asked, awkwardly.  
“No.” He replied, aware that it was the most honest thing he had said so far.  
“You want to talk about it?” She asked, praying he would say no. He shook his head and she silently thanked whatever God had listened but her reprieve was short lived as she saw his eyes filling up and his cheeks flushing.

“Oh, God. James, don't cry!”  
He just shook his head again in apology, unable to speak as the tears spilled over and Jessie sat there frozen to the spot, not having the first clue what to do as James seemed to fall apart right in front of her. She finally wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly against her as his body shook with sobs, hoping desperately that he would stop soon. 

“I never wanted kids, Jess.” He croaked against her shoulder.

“I know.” She replied quietly, unsure what else to say. Neither of them had ever wanted any kids, albeit for different reasons and she knew his reasons; remembered well the night they had spoken of it.

“We'll have to catch up to the twerps tomorrow.” James grumbled as he flopped onto his sleeping bag. It was completely dark and they were completely lost and had eventually admitted defeat and set up camp for the night.

“Yeah.” Jessie muttered from somewhere off to his right. “Stupid brats are seriously making me glad I don't have any of them.”

James snorted, imagining Jessie with a brood of pink haired kids running rings around her as she tried to swat them with her paper fan. The mental image vaguely reminded him of a game of whack-a-mole.

“Hey, Jess?”

“Hmm?”

“D'you think you'll ever have any kids?”  
She rolled over to face him, despite the fact that she couldn't actually see him in the darkness. 

“I don't know.” She admitted slowly. “I don't think I want any. I'm not really the mothering sort.”

James snorted again and she grabbed a pillow and smacked it in the direction of his laughter, smiling with satisfaction when her efforts were rewarded with a muffled yelp of pain.

“Besides,” She added when he quietened down, “I wouldn't want my kid growing up a Rocket baby. Its not the greatest childhood.”

“What if you weren't in Team Rocket? What if you left?”

“You know you don't just 'leave' Team rocket. Besides where else would I go?”

“Yeah but what if?”

“I don't know. Probably still wouldn't want kids. I don't think I'd be a great mother. What about you? I can totally see you as a Dad.”

“No way!” He shot back vehemently.

“Whoa, okay, take it easy! What have you got against ankle biters anyway?”

“Nothing!” He replied, defensively, then more calmly. “Nothing. I actually kinda like kids but...”

“But...?” Jessie prompted, curious now.

“But kids mean commitment. Marriage and stuff and you know how I feel about that. Once you have kids you're trapped. You're responsible for them no matter what and I don't want that. I don't ever want to be tied to someone like that.”

Jessie was silent for a moment before responding. “I guess I get that...”

 

Jessie lifted her head from her friend's shoulder and gave him a quick shake, hurriedly wiping at his tears with her sleeve as she heard the kitchen door close. 

“Pull yourself together.” She warned him.

He sat up straight, sniffed and raked his hands through his hair, attempting to look composed and like he hadn't just been crying. Thankfully the only one to enter was Meowth.

“You'se two got five minutes.” He informed them, glancing over his shoulder. “We gettin' outta here or what?”

“What are you talking about?” Jessie asked wearily, resisting the urge to grab him by the throat and shake some sense out of him. She didn't have the energy for talking in code. Meowth looked confused. 

“We's runnin' right? Jimmy ain't staying here, he just said...MEEEOWTH, what was dat for?!”

He gave Jessie an affronted look but refrained from scratching her due to the remote control she was still holding, which she had just slammed down with some force on his head.

“No, he didn't!” She snarled. “Its his choice, his family, don't you dare pressure him!”

She looked up to see James staring at her with bemusement. 

“What?”

“My thoughts, exactly.” James retorted. “What was that?”

She shrugged self consciously. “I know what you're afraid of. But do you remember that time you asked me what my dream was? If I could have anything?”

James nodded slowly. 

“Its an awful lot to give up, that's all I'm saying. You want to run, we'll run. Meowth and I are with you all the way. Just make sure its what you want,” 

James still hadn't said a word and she was getting that all too familiar urge to cause him pain. Finally he spoke.

“When did you get so...” He seemed to struggle for the word but she already knew what he meant and just shrugged again. “Its been hard, James. You were our family, you know that; our friendship meant everything to me and I'm not going to pretend I wouldn't give anything to have you back in my life but she's...they're your family too...” She trailed off, uncomfortably aware that she had revealed way too much and that James was staring at her like she had just grown another head.

“Look all I'm saying is you have a lot to lose here. We can't take that away from you.”

“So you do have a shred of decency in you.” The hushed words came from the doorway. “I was wondering what he ever saw in you. I suppose you had to have some hidden depths.” Olivia's voice was cold, colder than James had ever heard it and somehow strangely flat as though all emotion had been drained from it. 

“Um, Jess...”

Jessie glared back her own voice hard as stone as she replied. 

“You'll never understand anything about us because you never had to rely on someone, never had to trust them completely even if you just had a massive fight and absolutely hated their guts right then. So why don't you just piss off back to your perfect life and...”

She was cut off abruptly by Meowth's claws cutting into her leg sharply as he hissed furiously at her. 

“Jess!”

“What?!” She snarled, making Meowth recoil from her, obviously fearing retribution even as he frantically gestured towards the window. 

“Company!” 

James had never seen anyone pale so quickly before and scrambled to pull them both away from the windows, his heart thudding with adrenaline.

Outside a group of people were gathered and as James craned his head to get a better look at them one woman turned toward the house and he caught sight of the familiar uniforms and headsets.

He swore vehemently, backing away barely aware of Meowth's claws as the cat Pokemon clambered up his back to cling to his shoulders. Jessie grabbed his hand and pulled him against the wall where they couldn't be seen from outside. 

“What are we gonna do?” Meowth's voice was high pitched with fear and Jessie looked like she might be sick but he could tell she was thinking. She had that look on her face, one he recognised mostly from seeing it just before she ordered him to wax his legs and stuffed him into a dress for some ridiculous plan to snatch Pikachu. He thought wildly that they could sure use a twerp and a Pikachu right now. Being blasted off had never seemed so appealing, at least not since he had last seen Jessibelle.

“Get upstairs!” She hissed, pushing him towards the hallway. “You live here alone, understand, you're married but he works away! Make up a name!” The last to Olivia who was visibly attempting to look as if nothing at all out of the ordinary was going on.

James paused to kiss her, hugging her tightly before Jessie shoved him forcefully up the stairs, nearly knocking Meowth from his shoulders.

He paused halfway up as the pounding on the door began, looking back at his wife, desperately wishing he could protect her. 

“Move!” Jessie pushed him again. “They won't touch her, not if they don't think we're here, move!”

The banging grew louder and Olivia strove for an irritated tone as she shouted.

“Hold on a second, for crying out loud!”

James froze in the bedroom doorway, out of sight and held his breath, listening.


	7. Chapter 7

James barely dared to breathe as he stood there listening to Olivia downstairs demanding to know why they were hammering on her door. She delivered the line of the husband working away remarkably calmly and for a second he wondered if they just might get away with this. 

He was briefly distracted by the sound of Jessie apparently ransacking his closet. 

“Shhh!” He hissed. “What are you even DOING?”

She threw the various items she had dug up at him. “Help me tie these together.”

He stared at her in disbelief. “Tying together bedsheets and... what is this? Jeans! You cannot be serious!”

“Do you have a better idea? There's no other way out and as far as I know Meowth is the only one here who's supposed to land on his feet.”

“Meowth thinks the two of you'se is whacko if you reckon that's gonna work!”

“Just help me you pessimistic little...!”

“Jess!” James begged. “Please shut up, they'll hear you!”

He pulled the rope of clothing out of her hands and tossed it aside. 

“The bathroom window.” He said, barely able to believe he was participating in this insane plot to escape. “We can jump out and the bushes underneath will break our fall.”

“I'm all for breaking our fall!” Meowth chimed in.

“Better than our necks.” Jessie muttered. “Come on then, quietly, Meowth, I'm looking at you. No running your stupid mouth.”

Meowth looked up indignantly but subsided at a glare from James.

Sneaking across the landing without being heard by the Rockets standing guard in the hall while others searched the downstairs was the most difficult part and by the time they eased single file into the bathroom and softly closed the door, James' nerves were shot and he wasn't ashamed to admit that he nearly wet himself at the sound of Jessie shoving the window open.

“Shhh!” He hissed. Jessie rolled her eyes and climbed onto the sink to peer out.

“It's clear but that bush is going to hurt.” She informed him, looking down at her skirt with apprehension.

“Jimmy!” Meowth whispered from the doorway.

“Meowth, come on, we have to go.”

“Listen!” Meowth pleaded with a nod towards the door.

James lunged towards the cat Pokemon, ready to throw him out the window if that was what it took but something on Meowth's face made him stop and press his ear to the crack of the door.

“...know he lives here. You really think anyone gets away from us? We let him go.”

“So what if he does?” Olivia's voice was defiant even though James knew she had to be scared stiff. “What do you want with him now? It's been years.”

“We don't want him back, don't worry your pretty head about that. We've got bigger fish to fry. It's the woman we came for. His ex partner. We know she's here, there's nowhere else she would go.”

“There is no woman here. You think I would let him bring a member of Team Rocket into this house? I have a baby on the way for goodness sake!” Olivia sounded just the right mix of confused and irritated and James swore he would have believed her himself had he not been looking right at the partner in question.

“They knew where you were all along.” Jessie whispered, disbelievingly. “All those times they questioned us... the things we let them do... and they already knew? It was all a game. Their sick, twisted idea of a game, trying to get us to give you up and those sick, evil bastards knew the whole time.” 

Her voice cracked slightly in the middle and James nearly smacked his head on the doorknob he looked up so fast.

“What things?”

“What?”

“What things? You said 'those things we let them do.' What things?” James' voice was low and dangerously calm.

“Nothing, James, I didn't mean anything. I just can't believe they knew the whole time. It was just...mind games, you know?”

“You're lying to me.”

“I'm...” She trailed off, frustrated. “We have to go.”

“You tell me right now or I swear to you I will go down there and beat it out of them!” He had to fight to keep his voice from rising in anger. He knew what Team Rocket's version of 'questioning' was like and he was pretty sure he wasn't going to like this.

It was only when the flush rose on Jessie's cheeks and he remembered Meowth's earlier comments about Jessie earning her pay in other ways that it dawned on him exactly how much he wasn't going to like it.

His vision tunnelled in pure white fury and he turned, reaching for the door knob.

“No! Please, James, don't! Please don't! We have to go. Now.”

He stood for several seconds breathing slowly as the overwhelming rage receded to a steady simmer in the pit of his stomach and vowed to himself that he would kill each and every one of them who had laid so much as a finger on his partner.

He looked at Meowth, wide eyed and terrified as he pressed back against the door clearly intending to try and stop him.

“Lets go.” He grabbed Meowth by the paw and swung the cat Pokemon onto his shoulders. Meowth clung harder than ever but for once James didn't even notice his claws. He pushed the window wide and boosted Jessie up onto the sink. 

“Try and land quietly.” He told her. She rolled her eyes, swung her legs out and then glanced back.

“Promise you'll be right behind me.”

“Jess, we don't have time for this!”

“Promise!” She snarled and he wondered, not for the first time, how she managed to express such a clear, explicit threat while speaking no louder than a whisper.

“You promise me, James Morgan, you will not go down there.”

He heard footsteps on the stairs. 

“I swear!” He hissed in desperation. “I'm right behind you, just JUMP!”

She shot him a suspicious look but pushed off and landed with relatively little fanfare in the shrubbery below.

James hesitated for a second as he heard the bedroom doors being opened. It would be so easy to just hide behind the door and jump them as they came in. Meowth's claws dug painfully into his neck and he could feel the Pokemon shaking. 

“Please, Jimmy...” He pleaded.

James swore under his breath and lunged for the window, hoisting himself up and dropping over the sill. Jessie was right. The bush hurt. But neither of them had time to be picking twigs out of their particulars because the two Rockets guarding the house had seen them and raised the alarm before they could react.

“Shit.” He cursed, casting about wildly for some means of escape. They were hopelessly outnumbered, 5 to 2. He felt Meowth slither down his back and across to Jessie and then a rustle as he disappeared into the bushes. 

“He took a pokeball.” Jessie muttered out the side of her mouth. “He's up to something.”

James felt a flicker of hope. Right a distraction then. One thing for it. Shame he didn't have a flower really, for dramatic effect.

He struck the familiar pose, feeling only slightly like an idiot.

“Prepare for trouble!” 

Jessie stared at him incredulously. “Are you serious?”

“Make it double!” He continued, giving her a look that basically begged her to play along as the Rockets stared at them in a mixture of amusement and disbelief.

“To protect the world from devastation.” Jessie assumed her own stance beside him.

“To unite all peoples with our nation!”

“To denounce the evils of truth and love!” The ever familiar routine of the motto seemed to have given Jessie some of her old confidence back and she finished her line with an arrogant flip of her hair.

“To extend our reach to the stars above!” He could see Meowth out of the corner of his eye, edging round behind the Rockets.

“Jessie!”

“James!” A flash of red light.

“Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!” 

Carnivine rose up behind them and it struck James for the first time just how imposing Carnivine could look when he wasn't playing the clown.

“Surrender now, or prepare to fight!”

The Rockets dropped as one, none of them having seen the assault coming.

Meowth felled the one remaining Rocket who was struggling onto his knees with a violent bout of fury swipes.

“Meeeeeowth, that's right!” The cat exclaimed with what James could only describe as satisfaction.

Olivia was staring in horror from the doorway, unable to believe that sweet, dopey Meowth and their hapless Carnivine had just killed 5 men. Even worse was the fact that James, her kind, gentle, wouldn't raise a hand to a cockroach, James hadn't blinked an eye. Had actually helped by distracting them with that insane song and dance so that the Pokemon could get behind them. 

“The MOTTO, James, Seriously?! That was the only thing that came to mind?!” Jessie was demanding.

“I was under pressure, okay!” He snapped back.

“James?” Olivia said slowly.

He glanced back over at his wife, immediately hit with guilt for forgetting about her. She must have been so scared, witnessing that. 

“Livvy, I'm so sorry you had to see that. Are you okay.” And just like that, he was her James again; hurrying towards her with a look of concern. 

“James...didn't you say that Rockets are always sent out in pairs?”

“Yeah, what's that got to do with...” He stopped, looking back at their attackers bodies. Their five attackers.

“Damn it!” He swore, spinning around and lunging for Jessie who had apparently come to the same conclusion. They reached each other just as a loud crack rang out and James felt something smack him in the back below the shoulder blade, knocking him forwards into Jessie. 

Her arms wrapped around him and he heard Olivia scream. He looked from one to the other in confusion; turned towards the source of the noise and then he felt the pain. God, the pain. His legs went out from under him and he was only dimly aware of the scuffle as Meowth struggled with the Rocket. He flinched as the gun went off again and experienced a brief flare of fear until he realised that Meowth had been the one to do the shooting. 

The cat appeared beside them and he struggled to focus on what they were saying. Jessie had him across her lap, frantically pressing on his wound and obviously panicking.

“...hang on. You have to hang in there, James, help is coming! Please just stay with me okay?”

He could see Olivia, sobbing on the phone to someone, her free hand in his hair, obviously trying to comfort him but he couldn't really feel it. 

“James! Oh, God just stay with us, please. Don't close your eyes! James!”

“Jimmy!” Even Meowth sounded terrified. “Jimbo, wake up.”

Was it him, or was it getting dark? It was too early to be getting dark. He must be passing out. Or maybe he was dying. Wasn't there supposed to be a light? Even their voices were muffled, like they were fading away. 

“James!”


End file.
